Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Above) Paul Krause led much of the race before being passed by Davis. Krause still finished second overall. (Above right) Shane Esposito took top honors in the 125cc class in 11th overall. Davis to make a pass, but by that time, Book was out of sight. "[ caught Paul (Krause), but by that time my hands were bleeding because of blisters," said Book, who spent the early part of the year with two broken wrists. 'Then Ty caught up to me, and 1 just let him by, because 1 knew he could catch him and get the lead. 1 could barely hold on, so 1 just babied my hands." Davis was not the only rider to make up. time on the second loop. Lehman moved from 11th to sixth over the 41mile loop when he made passes on Hallgath, Campbell, Hengeveld; Capt, Baumann and Hamel. Campbell had started to drop back because of a front flat that he suffered about five miles out on the second loop. "1 tried to keep up the same pace with the flat:' said Campbell. '1t would hold up in the sandy valleys, but in the rocky stuff it was a lot to handle. It ended up sliding out from under me a couple times." Just as Lehman had moved his 250 up in the overall standings, YZ125mounted Esposito was doing the same. Esposito caught and passed class-leading Van Stee midway through the second loop and held it open all the way to the finish for the class win. "Esposito went by me, and 1 stayed with him for a little bit," said Van Stee, who admitted to being sick the entire week prior to the event. "1 only got to ride the bomb once, so 1 didn't get the start that 1 knew 1 needed to get to be out front. 1 just hit a wall right about when he passed me, and after that 1 just couldn't hold on. [ can't complain, though. 1 still had a good ride." Van Stee was not the only Kawasaki rider to lose a spot on the second loop. In fact, Brown lost many spots, ending his chances of a decent finish when his rear-axle nut came off. Chiapuzio inherited fourth place but nearly put himself out of the race trying to catch thirdplaced Book's dust. "1 was getting ready to pass Brown, and then he just stopped:' said 16-yearold Chiapuzio. "I moved into fourth and started seeing Book's dust, but then j crashed. 1 hit some whoops and swapped back and forth and got all out of control. I basically rode in pain the last half of the second loop." At about the same time Chiapuzio was picking himself off the ground, Davis was making his move on Krause for the lead. 'Ty caught up to me in some rocks, and then it opened up, and 1 floored it across the valley:' said Krause. "I came into a narrow wash and just panicbraked at a turn and killed the motor. It took me two kicks to get it started, and that is when he got around me. Dave Chase just built me a new motor, and it's fast, but he (Davis) just dusted me out. 1 knew he was coming. 1 just didn't know when he was coming." Davis pushed just long enough to put Krause out of his sight and then cruised at a comfortable but fast pace all the way to the finish. The win puts Davis in a comfortable points lead in the best-ofseven series. "My Yamaha worked great:' said the Montclair Yamaha-backed racer about his smart ride to the lead. 'The start was just a freak thing. When you're behind, though, you have to do whatever you need to do to get the lead. You have to take chances, but the last thing you want to do is end up out in the bushes." Krause turned in his best ride in a National this year, besting his third place in Utah. Book held on long enough to top the 250s in just his fourth race since switching to the Montclair Yamaha team with Davis. Chiapuzio turned in a stellar performance and will most likely prove to be a top National contender in the future. Lehman's incredible jaunt from a poor start to fifth overall earned him third in the high!y competitive 250cc class. Hamel's stellar start kept him toward the top in sixth, third in the Open class, followed by fourth Open-classer Ca pt. The 250s of Hengeveld, Summers and Hallga th rounded out the top 10 and finished four-five-six in their respective classes. Team TRacing's Esposito chalked up his third 125cc-class win of the series in an impressive 11 tho Holeshot artist Abe Baumann posted the Vet honors in 12th, and Arizona's Matt Murphy, who rode a KTM 380 for Vosburg/[MS, tallied up a fifth-place spot in the Open Expert class. Campbell's front flat slowed him down but he still managed 14th, one spot ahead of second-placed 125cc rider Van Stee. Honda CR250-mounted Jon Parks barely edged out the KX500 of Rick Daniel for second-place honors in the ultracompetitive Vet class. Daniel's performance was impressive nonetheless after he purchased the bike and got it race-ready in less than a week. Curtis Dice racked up his second Four-Stroke win in a row in 19th overall aboard an LC620. Staten took care of his flat-tire problem in the pit and went on to win Briefly_____ Ty Davis originally planned on racing a Yama· ha VZ250 that had been punched out to a 300' but opted to ride the same VZ400F that he and teainmate Donnie -Book had raced to victory at the Best in the Desert Tonopah 300 one week . earlier. "My '30.0 was pinging a little bit, so, I didn't want to take'any chances," Davis said. "I just i:hanged the gearing. on the 400 and washed it. I don't have to worry about it, because it's so reliable," When asked what races he plans to race'.the punched-out VZ250 , in. Davis replied, "I don't know. The 400's working so good right now, I'm not sure when I'll use it." Vosburg Racing, the KTM-mounted team out of Las' Vegas, is not'the only support team the Senior class in 34th overall, and Anna Jo Cody topped the Women's division, finishing in 68th out of the approximately 300 racers that entered. l"i\ Vikings MC Lucerne Valley. California Results: April 26, 1998 (Round 4 of 6) O/A EX: 1. Ty Davis (Yam); 2. Paul Krause (Kaw); J. Donnie Book (Yam); 4. Doug Chiapuzio (Kaw); 5. Oakley Lehman (Kaw); 6, Dave Hamel (Kaw); 7. Jeff Capt (Kaw); 8. Steve Hengeveld (Kaw); 9, James Summers (Vam); 10, Eric Hallgath (KTM); 11. Shane Esposito (Vam); 12. Abe Baumann (Kaw); 13. Matt Murphy (KTM); 14. Johnny Campbell (Hon); 15. Dana Van Stee (Hon); 16. Ron Shuler (Kaw); 17. 10n Parks (Hon); 18. Rick Daniel (Kaw); 19. Curtis Dice (KTM); 20. Daryl Hambleton (Kaw). OPEN EX: 1. Ty Davis (Yam); 2. Paul Krause (Kaw); 3. Dave Hamel; 4, Jeff Capt (Kaw); Matt Murphy (KTM). 125 EX: 1. Shane Esposito (Yam); 2. Dana Van Stee. 250 EX: 1. Donnie Book (Yam); 2. Doug Chiapuzio (Kaw); 3. Oakley Lehman (Kaw); 4. Steve Hengeveld (Kaw); 5. James Summers (Yam). 4-STRK, 1. Curtis [);", (KTM). 30+ EX: 1. Abe Baumann (Kaw); 2. Jon Parks (Hon); 3. Rick Daniel (Kaw); 4. Daryl Hambleton (Kaw). 40+ EX: 1. Rex Staten (Kaw). WMN EX: 1. Anna 10 Cody (Kaw); 2. Kelly Yancey (}(aw). O/A AM: Jeremy Hammon (KTM). O/A NOV: 1. Darren Schmidt (Kaw). AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE & HOUND SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Alter 4 of 7 rounds): 1. Ty Davis (110/2 wins); 2. Destry Abbott (69/1); 3. Paul Krause (59); 4. Dave Ondas (SO); S. Brian Brown (48/1); 6. Steve He'ngeveld (48); 7. Doug Chiapuzio (42); 8. Dan Richardson (41); 9. Oakley Lehman (38); 10. Donnie Book (36), present at the National Hare & Hound Series these days.. Team T Racing, also out of Vegas, is another support1eam making a name lor itsell. The Yamaha-mounted team' credits Texaco Havoline. Cycra. Fox and Pro Circuit lor its success thus lar. Team riders James Summers and Shane Esposito both fi'nisheCJ in the to'p 11 at Lucerne, Esposi" to is one 'class win away from taking the 125cc championship lor 1998. ' Missing lrom the starting line at ro~nd 'four were KTM's Nick and Russ Pearson, who were seen in t~e pits sporting 'matching crutch- . es a'nd casts. Both' PearSon brothers are nursing foot injuries' they sustained at earlier rounds, Yoon'ger b'rother Rus~ plans to b~' back on the bike first. in a few weeks. Nick. wh.o crushed three toes alter kicking a rock at the Delta, Utah. round. will be back in action later in the summer.

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